


Dance of a Lifetime

by jumphighlamb



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, IT man Alfred, M/M, Pole Dancing, Romantic Fluff, an attempt at presenting pole dancing as an athletic sport, because it is often smeared as something 'dirty' when i believe it is not, pole dancing!arthur, this is wholesome content lol i swear
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:02:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26433850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jumphighlamb/pseuds/jumphighlamb
Summary: A small collection of drabbles/ficlets/short writings of my human au where Arthur Kirkland is a professional pole dancer and the love of his life is dorky computer man/IT boy Alfred F. Jones. (*^_^*)Published in order of writing, not in chronological order.This au is still ongoing so hopefully expect more in the future! (・ω<)☆
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

Arthur swung into the room with his head held down and his eyes buried deep into his phone. “Alfred, I need your help to pick a new song for me.”

Alfred leaned back from his computer desk, a wide smile on his face as he spun around on his spinny chair to face him. “Oh! A new song! Let me think…” He drummed his fingers on his desk as he was lost deep in his thoughts. “Do I have to consider tempo or anything?”

“Well, no,” Arthur smirked as he sat on his lap and spun them back around into the desk with expert acrobatics, taking the computer mouse into his hand and opening up a new webpage. “Well, I do. But I merely assumed I would ask my IT-bachelor boyfriend to fix that for me.”

“Dude,” he smiled affectionately, “it doesn’t take a bachelor degree earned by a shit-ton of coding to learn how to edit an audio file.”

“Oh shush.” Arthur slapped his shoulder. “Now, I’m looking for something more traditional this time. I want to appear more elegant.”

Alfred hummed before answering. “How about ‘Get Down’, like, from ‘Six’. That’s British too. What a bonus.”

“‘Get Down’?” Arthur asked, bemused and with eyebrows raised. “Now how is that in any way ‘traditional’, pray tell? Or elegant?”

“It is traditional! It’s about Anne of Cleves, ain’t it? She’s from the Tudor era. That’s as ancient as can be -”

“Good God-”

“Well how traditional do you wanna go? You want, like, classical music or something?”

“No, I was expecting something more modern. As in the last century. You are going to the extremes.” Arthur stared at the monitor before slowly starting to nod his head. “But you know what? I quite like that about you. I think I’ll have a shot at classical music. It’s just the right amount of elegance a body like mine needs. What do you think?”

Alfred chuckled. “I say go for it, as long as it’s something a New Yorker musician won’t be too embarrassed to play out on the streets.”

“Oh, please,” he said as he began searching up different songs.

Alfred continued to watch him, snuggling close as they sat together on the chair. “Y’know. I don’t think I’ve seen a pole dancing performance with classical music before. You’ll be my first.”

Arthur laughed. “Oh dear, I do hope you don’t mind me deflowering you.” He rolled his eyes before slapping him again. “Really, you make it seem so sexual. The sport already has that much of a bad rep. The last thing I need is for my own partner to give in to such prejudices.”

“Hey,” Alfred raised his hands defensively. “There’s nothing wrong with dancing up there all sexy.”

“I never said that,” he grumbled as he scrolled through Alfred’s Spotify account.

 _There_. That was the one. He pressed play and sat back, cuddling up with Alfred as the two of them listened, only speaking after it finished it’s dramatic finale.

“Classy,” Alfred smiled soundly.

“ _Elegant_ ,” Arthur corrected. “It’s perfect.” It reminded him so much of their first meeting. So spluttery and slippery, Alfred stumbled over every word as Arthur gracefully aided him through each step, both enchanted and amused. That young IT boy was so nervous to ask him out. It was the cutest thing in the world. His face flushed at the innocent memory. Yes, he would surely put emotion into his next performance. He wondered if Alfred will guess his inspiration right. Oh, what was he kidding? Alfred always guessed what he was expressing during his performances right.

“So, I’ve found you your song,” Alfred licked his lips deviously. “Do I get a reward kiss?”

“What?” Arthur spluttered. “What do you mean _you_ found it? You did nothing!”

Alfred ended up kissing him anyway. And of course, he kissed back, yet he was twice as fierce.


	2. Chapter 2

“You want to hold your top hand up nice and high.” Arthur’s soft voice sounded as he held his hand firmly over Alfred’s. “Now ensure your shoulders are engaged like I told you, and,” he softly pulled Alfred’s shoulders down and bent his elbow straight, eyeing him up with dashing smile, “that your elbow is straight.” The kindness in his eyes outweighed the cockiness of his smile, “remember that one. You always forget.”

“Okey dokey,” Alfred giggled as he gripped tightly onto the pole. He looked down at his attire, a crop top and some sports pants, wondering if he could really do it. He’d been sitting around a lot lately, working so hard on a new computer program for the business his brother ran. It’d been weeks since he’d gone out properly for the purpose of exercise. He wondered if he had any muscles left. “Do you think I’ll have enough strength for it?”

Arthur laughed. “Oh, I have no doubt. I’ve seen you do chin ups at the gym with ease. And remember, this is a nice and easy beginner’s move. You can do this, my love. I’m sure of it.”

Alfred’s heart fluttered. He love. He called him his love. “Okay,” he said as he felt a mellow feeling of content calm overcome his fears. “I can do it.”

A satisfied huff. “Right. So, as I’ve shown you then,” Arthur said, stepping back. “Use your outside leg.”

Alfred nodded, swinging his outer leg to wrap it around the pole, his outside hand coming around to do the same. He lifted his other foot as he spun around nice and steady.

“Now feel, feel, feel. Squeeze it gently. Not too tightly,” Arthur ordered as he watched over him.

Alfred grunted before he slowly let himself slide down, gracefully landing down again and posing quite proudly. “Tada!” He beamed. That there was his very first move, all done! He was ecstatic he didn’t fall on his butt. 

“How elegant,” Arthur’s green eyes sparkled as his smug smirk turned to pride. Alfred’s heart fluttered once again. It was all thanks to him he didn’t fall on his butt.

“Almost as elegant as you!” He laughed before blushing, hoping the compliment would get through to him.

“Almost,” Arthur said, his hands now on his hips. “Well, there you have it. A Fireman Spin. Would you like to try transitioning that into a climb?”

“Well, I don’t know,” Alfred smirked, tapping on the pole idly as his thoughts wondered. “Do I get to watch you do it first?”

Arthur scoffed, but his smile was bright. “Oh, don’t be crass. Quit flirting.”

“Hah! I thought this entire thing was flirting,” Alfred licked his bottom lip, earning a shove from Arthur.

“Oh,” his tone started off grumpy, “well, I do apologize. I merely assumed this was just the normal amount of intimacy found within a loving relationship.” He stopped there, his face so close to Alfred’s, his voice so tender, his lips looking so soft. And those muscles were so big and strong and broad – at least for a figure such as his. He was still shorter than Alfred. And with that stature, looked up at Alfred with big, bright, piercing green eyes.

“But then what would I know?” He whispered. “Maybe, after living with such a profession for so long, the lines for me have become far too blurred.”

“Well, Gee,” Alfred said smoothly. “Maybe you should let me program it for you, then.” He leaned in closer. “I’m good at that, y’know. Organizing the right codes and things for… things.” Ahh, well that died out in his mouth, didn’t it? He leaned back, furrowing his brows. He’d left himself dazed, sort of confused with what he’d said, letting the little spell conjured up between them break.

But Arthur didn’t mind. No, he laughed, bright and loud and cheery. And it was such a beautiful sound.

It left Alfred feeling so loved.


	3. Chapter 3

The fairy lights beamed, the pole sparkled. His outfit shone.

His core strength was mighty, and his face showed clear concentration.

He took a breath in, he took a breath out. He swung around the pole, high up in the air. He was upside down. Spinning. His ankles were crossed, ensuring he had stability in his posture.

The music was loud. Pounding, even. But the song chosen for him was delicate in itself.

He wasn’t delicate though. No, his heart was strong. So were his muscular arms.

No, the beauty he showed on that pole was not delicacy, but rather… what would it be?

He thought back at home, where Alfred would lie in their bed, giggling as he munched on cookies and created new memes. Stupid bloody fool.

His arms reached out to hold the pole from under him, and he let his ankles uncross and his thighs let go. He swung down from the side, ensuring he didn’t bump against the pole as he wrapped one leg around it. He ensured he was stable and upright before leaning back in cupid position.

Alfred, huh? His dear cupid. Rude bloody git fired his arrow straight into Arthur’s heart all those years ago. But the one memory that decided to bother him right now was the one that happened last night. 

Alfred was working on this one stupid meme again… oh, what was it? The one with Winnie the Pooh… he was wearing a tuxedo. Alfred made a joke about Python and Java - computer scripts he knew nothing of but could listen to the nerdy blue-eyed boy mumble about for days. Alfred had laughed as he said one was more elegant than the other, but Arthur couldn’t quite remember which.

Elegant, huh? Arthur prepped himself before doing a high kick and splitting his legs. That was a word he didn’t know Alfred had in his vocabulary. He quickly narrowed his eyes. Well, he knew nothing of Information Technology, so who was he to critique Alfred’s limited English lexicon?

But elegant, huh? Arthur could remember that moment. He was confused. He didn’t know why Alfred was looking at him like that as he said it.

“Elegant, huh?” He said.

“Yeah,” Alfred replied with a naughty wink. “Beautiful to look at when the program all comes together. But it takes a lot of sweat and tears to get there. Oh, but it’s worth it in the end. A good program. Elegant. Almost like a certain Englishman I know…”

Arthur changed his position again before landing his toes on the ground with grace.

Elegant, huh? Yes, that is a good way to describe himself. It can take a lot of sweat and tears to complete a routine in this sport. And it sure as bloody hell always looks beautiful when it all comes together, in the very end.

He was elegant on the pole. Elegant. He nodded to himself, satisfied. That was a good way to describe himself in his work.

His dear American cupid could be right every now and again… sometimes…

So maybe that small hope in the back of his head wasn’t so fruitless after all… maybe Alfred was right in coding his own arrow to strike and reignite Arthur’s once wilting heart as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao this is what you call procrastinating from other things you should doing, lol


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this a while ago and forgot I had it!!! So here you go, a nice treat!  
> A sweet little chapter on how they first met <3
> 
> there's minor gerita here, too ;)

The acre of land Alfred worked on housed kids from preschool all the way up to high school. He only worked in the high school sector, though, in the small little cramped IT department with his good friend and colleague Ludwig Beilschmidt.

They only just graduated together from the same school last year, but Alfred found he simply had to go back and work there for his gap year; he loved the community far too much just to leave it all for good. His peers called him crazy for it, but he didn’t mind.

Ludwig didn’t call him crazy. He loved working back at the school too – although for different reasons. He’d take any opportunity to work and toy with the marvelous mechanics of computers and computing systems. Besides, he loved keeping his routine, and he enjoyed having a familiar face around, even though he rarely ever actually looked at Alfred.

Like the time he handed over a newly fixed-up phone and turned straight back to his computer screen after Alfred took it. “Do you mind driving that to the studio, as you agreed earlier? I’ve finished repairing it.”

“Well damn, I can see that.” He said as he moved it around in his hands. Ludwig could do a pretty damn good job with those things. “To your fiancé’s, right?”

“Ja.”

Alfred smiled as he took his stand to leave. “Cover my shift for me, then, if I don’t get back before lunch ends!” He called out before closing the door behind him.

“Ja!”

Alfred always drove everything and everyone everywhere. It was his job in the friendship circle. Or triangle, he supposed. He chuckled as he made his way to the parking lot, passing the preschool building on his journey. His brother would still be in there, taking care of all those little super-grubby kids. Alfred still thought his job was just some over-glorified babysitting, but whenever he’d tell that to Matthew he’d get a load of unnecessary insults hurled at him the whole drive home, and then he’d get insults from Ludwig too due to the noise.

Damn, Alfred could hear the sounds of them complaining already. Sometimes Alfred really hated driving the two of them everywhere. But other times he loved it with all his heart. Matthew couldn’t drive due to his past experiences with vertigo, and Ludwig chose to leave it to others as a personal preference suited to his own experiences with ASD. So that always left Alfred as the designated driver… and the errand boy too.

He opened his car and hopped in. _Where are you going this time?_ His GPS seemed to ask.

 _Oh, don’t worry about that today_ , Alfred thought to himself as he did his seatbelt up. _I’ve picked Feli up from there a billion times before._

So his drive to the studio ran quite smoothly. He had Feli’s phone with him, he knew where he was going. But he’d never been in the building itself. And he couldn’t text Feli he was there – Feli didn’t even have his phone! So that would be the new part of his journey.

He pulled up, got out, and entered the studio, kinda nervous. He suddenly wished that Feli could have waited until this afternoon for Ludwig to give his phone back. But there was some sort of routine he needed to film with it, apparently, one that needed to be submitted to some competition forum before noon.

So Alfred had no other choice as the dedicated errand boy to go inside and seek out Feli himself. He climbed up the stairs, and opened the studio doors, expecting to see some sort of painting club or something, but instead he saw a ton of poles around the place, and a heap of people up and on them.

 _Oh_. Well. Alfred blinked a few times. He hadn’t been expecting that, but it was an interesting surprise. They reminded him of something… of a series of lovely soft memories from his childhood. He forgot he had those memories, so focused on his work and all his uni prospects as of late. He smiled as he watched the crowd. It was nice to have a little reminder of those times.

He started walking around, admiring them all doing their nifty tricks with neat techniques. They all looked so stunning up there! Alfred spun around as they did, watching them all as he searched for one in particular.

Feli always had killer leg muscles, he would always show off how he could cling onto Ludwig without using his hands! So that must’ve meant that he would be higher up somewhere, using that to his advantage in his art.

So he looked up higher, and –

There, on the pole right above him, was an angel. His sprawled-out hands shone in the light, giving off an image of bright and bold wings, and those gracious pointed legs of his revealed a reverent pose that sounded such beauty and such strength. Alfred’s mouth hung open as he stood back, watching him.

 _Damn_.

The man changed his position in an instant, then he climbed down the pole with a well-practiced ease. And without noticing Alfred’s eyes, he walked off with a little swagger in his step as he reached for a water bottle and took a big sip from it.

“Is it true, Mr Jones?” Alfred jumped back as he spun to see Feli standing there, all smug and pointed as he had his arms crossed behind his back. “Has cupid’s arrow finally taken a strike at your dear heart?”

Alfred went redder than ever as he flusteredly shook his hands and head. “No! No, not at all!” He cried. “Umm… Here, here.” His hands shook as he reached into his pocket and pulled out Feli’s phone. “Here, Ludlud fixed your phone…”

“Oh! Did he now!” He giggled as he took it from him. “Thank you, Alfred! I’ll have to say my thanks to him this afternoon.”

“Who… who was that?” Alfred looked around for his mystery angel-man, but he couldn’t see him anywhere.

“Ohh. Him? Well, that was Arthur. He’s new here, so you might have a chance if you impress him the most.” Feli said with a small little mischievous wink.

Alfred ignored that. “Where’s he…” He swallowed, trying to find the courage and the right sort of words. “Where’s he from?”

“London,” Feli sang before his tone turned into one of hush-hushed gossip. “He’s working here on a teacher’s exchange. We sent one over there, and he was our trade. And look, he’s taught me a few new things already! I’ll show you now!” He said as he put his phone down.

Feli skipped over to the nearest pole as he began dancing around deliriously, giggling as his arms took to the pole and he swung himself up enough to go upside down. He then proceeded to show the few new things he’d learnt from this alluring Arthur, all of which Alfred cheered on excitably.

That was, until Arthur himself came up to him and asked him sternly if he had permission to be in here.

“Oh!” Alfred nearly panicked. Arthur really did have the most wonderous green eyes up close, and a strange set of eyebrows that somehow, surprisingly, Alfred really really liked on him. “I didn’t mean to cause any distractions. I was just giving my friend his phone back.” He picked up Feli’s phone, and handed it back to him for the second time as he came down from the pole.

Arthur nodded. “Very well then.” He was about to say something else but Alfred beat him to it.

“Did you teach him this stuff? It’s so cool! That sort of core strength in that last move…” He turned back to the Italian to voice him his praise. “Whoo! You go, Feli!”

Feli smiled and he bowed. And Alfred smiled back as he turned to face Arthur again.

“Y’know. All this dancing…” He trailed off as he suddenly blushed. “It makes me think of…” He laughed like a little boy as he trailed off again.

Arthur unexpectedly started scowling as he crossed his arms, strangely tense and standoffish for some sudden reason. But Alfred continued to describe his old memories, trying his best to not let that reaction bother him.

“My step-dad. He and my brother are from Montreal, originally. They would take me to see the Cirque du Soleil kinda often when we were younger.” He smiled as he remembered the awkward love grow between them during those performances. “All those acrobats. All those smiles and the looks of wonder in the faces of the crowd.” _And the three of them slowly becoming a family_ … He nodded happily. “Pole dancing reminds me of that, a lot.”

He paused, waiting, and to his delight, Arthur’s expression slowly softened.

“That sounds lovely,” He said with a small smile before rubbing a hand over his forehead. “I’m sorry, I think I assumed you were about to say something terrible.”

Alfred frowned. “Oh… Oh, I’m sorry. I’d never mean something like –”

“Don’t worry,” Feli waved his hands at him. “He’s just a bit on-edge, that’s all. The last guy to come in here with casual clothes ran right up to his girlfriend in the middle of her routine and started yelling at her and berating her for it.”

Arthur shook his head angrily before glaring at Alfred. “He called her certain slurs for dancing as a woman would in… a gentlemen’s club, as I’d put it more lightly. He told her to get down and leave with him immediately in front of one of my younger classes. Completely inappropriate behaviour with young teenagers standing around.”

“Not only that, but he really hurt her heart! And poor Bella too – she actually works in one of those places, and she heard it all.” Feli looked like he was about to cry. “People always seem to forget that we’re all human in here.”

Alfred’s eyebrows raised. That did sound awful. “I’m sorry to hear that. But are they all right now?”

“Oh, of course! Bella’s strong! And that other girl, she broke up with that awful man real fast!” Feli giggled as he did a little dance in triumph.

“Yes,” Arthur sighed, and Alfred’s eyes were on him again. He had such a reserved nature to him, and a graceful at that. His presence shone with wealth with every small step he took, and his voice sung with honey every time that it spoke.

“I had to call security to get him to leave, though. He ended up getting arrested.” He chuckled to himself, and it sounded like the chimes you’d hear at heaven’s gates. “It’s why I don’t take too kindly to strangers.”

“Oh…” Alfred smiled, suddenly feeling smitten... But also a little playful. “Well, you’re not gonna arrest me then, are ya?”

Arthur shot him a piercing look, right into his soul, and Alfred heard his heavy breath hitch. “You’re making me consider it,” he said after giving him a scandalous once-over.

“Ohh…” Feli cooed.

“I’m Alfred, by the way.” He said as he smiled broadly, a newfound confidence flowing through within him. That was rare. Usually he was a dorky mess around others who weren’t in his tight-knit group of friends. But for some reason, with this Arthur, he felt safe to say the different things he did. “I work with Feli’s fiancé, the one who fixed his phone. So, as you can see, I ain’t no stranger around here.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow at him, and shifted his balance. “So, do you work with phones then?”

“Kinda,” Alfred tilted his head to the side. “I can do computer science and coding too. I’m getting my degree on IT in general.”

“So you’re at university?”

“Next year, I’ll be, yes. I took a gap year this year to raise some money to pay for it. I don’t wanna be in crazy debt,” he said, suddenly sheepish again as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Oh!” Feli cried out. “You should see how much money he had at first!” He shook his head. “And then you wasted it all away on some charity…”

“Hey! That was important to me! I’m glad I did that!”

Arthur laughed, and Alfred felt a strange surge in his gut, a butterfly-like tingle that made him all giddy inside.

“I’m Arthur,” he said suddenly as he bowed his head slightly. “The exchange teacher here.”

Alfred felt like he was blushing, but he didn’t know how bad it looked. “Does that mean I’ll be seeing you around here often?” He said as he fiddled with his glasses, all jittery. This man was too perfect.

“Yes, I suppose so, if you come here often.” Arthur smirked at him, and lightning struck. “Will I be seeing you around here often?”

Alfred stood stunned. He didn’t know how to… Umm… He thought for a moment, and when he finally found the right response, he opened his mouth to say it.

But Feli butted in before he could. “Of course, he will be! Don’t you see the way he’s making googly eyes at you? And he’s as red as a tomato, too!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please consider watching some cirque de soleil programs and showing them your greatest support in these troubled times!! 
> 
> Comments would be kinda nice 👉👈
> 
> Thanks for reading!! 💖💖💖


End file.
